21 de março de 2012

Review - Feist - Coliseu do Porto

If you take some time to read the reviews of Feist latest album - Metals - you will notice that in basically all of them she is known as the girl of the song "1234". Not in a redundant way but since it was part of a big campaign of a tech company which symbol is a piece of fruit, it was the song that made more people listen to her music. But when that same girl with such a trademark song doesn´t need to include it on her setlists and still make a perfect setlist you know you are in for a memorable night.

After a not-so-captivating opening by Fionn Reagan (which despite that has great songs and a beautiful voice) Feist got on stage a little after 10pm. Starts with a song of the album she is presenting on this tour, and if you excuse my easy input, Metals is a very solid album. Proof of that is how on the very first song Leslie Feist made us all scream "A COMMOTION" and the crowd knew we were in for a special show.
The following moment comes with an intriguing intro that revealed a brand new version of a single of the album "The Reminder". "My Moon My Man" sounding like you never heard it in any former performance. So, at the second song one of my favourite details of the show was revealed: brand new clothes for old songs. All of them sounding different of what you were used on the album and on many live videos on Youtube. To add to "My Moon..." the other oldies that were played included the hauntingly beautiful "So Sorry", "Mushaboom" (with special dance taught by Feist!) "Feel It All", and the classic "Limit To Your Love". Yes, that one that James Blake has a nice rendition of...borrowed from Feist. Other oldies were played on the...3 encores, but we will get there later.

Meanwhile Feist was presenting the wonderful songs of the new album. There were plenty of them from the singles "How Come You Never Go There" (that even with no brass live section sounds great) to the second single "The Bad In Each Other". But an album is not only made of singles and the crowd knows it because they seemed to know all the gems played. Including "Caught A Long Wind" that also with no string (violins) section on this tour, sounds flawless.
After we conclude that in the packed room there was people from every corner of the world (Feist talented drummer comes from New Zealand) "The Circle Married The Line" was played. A song about the ocean from someone who lives in a landlock as Feist told us.
On stage, helping Leslie on this tour, there´s a trio of girls called "Mountain Man", that had her own moment before the first encore showing why they were chosen for the back vocals...perfect harmony between the three [beautiful] ladies. To add to the already mentioned drummer there is also a man-who-plays-everything and a pianist that when you think he is very good on the piano and keys he comes to surprise you, not on the piano, but on drums with a killer(!) version of When I Was a Young Girl . She rocked so much that a little wood table she had near her didn´t resist and broke letting Feist throw the missing pieces as a rocker would do.

I said I would come back to the old songs because the encores were composed by them. And that way Feist nailed probably the better accomplished set of encores I´ve seen. "Secret Heart" - a fan favourite - showed once again Leslie skills on her beloved guitars to the delight of the fans. Despite the non-inclusion of "Inside & Out" on the official setlist the song made an appearance...with the public singing it on their own with a little help from Feist along the way.
To finish the night, "Intuition" and the astonishingly beautiful "Let It Die". Never such a sad song ended a concert so well.

One to remember.


Setlist:


Note: "The Water" was not played. Replaced by "Secret Heart"...which I was dying to listen live.


1 de março de 2012

It´s Music To Your Ears

Give this guy and his album a chance and you will feel better.
With the above sentence I just used two song titles of his album (named "Making Mirrors") that I´m listening for the very first time right now. Amazing range of genres on the 4/5 songs I´ve listened to until now.

And all started because of a Lisa Hanningan cover that appeared on my sub box of Youtube. I recognized the song, went search for it and I remember that I´ve listened to it before. Was at my grandma´s house with one of my younger sisters and while listening the song we were like...what is this?...sounds...meh...but somehow instead of changing channel (probably for Disney Channel...) we continued to listen to it...and end up loving it. But forgetting to search for it later...

Here it is.


And awesome timing to find it. Weirdly relating to it at the moment. Brilliant song.

____________

In other news...second semester is on! This one is looking like I will actually have to apply myself...will see. Last time I said that I end up doing less than on the year before...still nailed the semester though. Probably to be unemployed in half an year or putting more money, that I don´t have, in continuing to accumulate knowledge, on a masters degree. Will see. One day at a time.

P.S. Found a nice blog that kinda inspired me to write on mine on a more often basis. I will probably fail at that but if you happen to see here [even more] meaningless posts it´s because I´m trying to keep this super updated and stuff.

Enjoy the music!